Vitamin A

BACKGROUND

Ingredient Type: Vitamin

Also Known As: 3-Dehydroretinol

Vitamin A is a strongly-pigmented nutrient found in many plants, giving carrots, yams, pumpkin and mangoes their deep orange color. It is involved in immune function, vision, reproduction, and cellular communication, and it is critical for vision as an essential component of rhodopsin, a protein that absorbs light in the retinal receptors. It also supports cell growth and differentiation, playing a critical role in the normal formation and maintenance of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs.

Vitamin A is used in health supplements today as an antioxidant to promote healthy tissue.

MORE COMING SOON

In the meantime see the National Istitutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements entry for vitamin A, this MedlinePlus article on vitamin A, this Mayo Clinic article on vitamin A, the RXList entry for vitamin A, or the WebMD entry for vitamin A for more information.